Category: Canada

Great for beginners and experienced hikers alike, the Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park is one of the premier hikes in Western Canada. Few trails deliver like the Iceline Trail hike; multiple waterfalls, expansive mountain vistas, and up-close views of majestic glaciers all along one incredible route, perfect! The trail begins near the town of Field, in British Columbia and the extra hour of driving from Banff allows you to get away from the crowds.

Yoho is generally more peaceful than its more famous neighbour and the scenery is equally stunning. The hike follows remnants of the Emerald Glacier and with the majority of it is above treeline you’ll be treated to stupendous views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. For these reasons and its easy accessibility from Calgary, we figured this gem was deserving of a place on our 2017 Alberta Bucketlist despite being in British Columbia. Continue reading “Hiking the Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park”

While Alberta is famous for it’s Rocky Mountain vistas, paddling the Milk River is a lesser known but quintessential Albertan activity. The southern badlands that the Milk River carves through form a unique landscape and a beautiful sight to behold, especially from the water.

The Milk River was named by Lewis and Clark who thought that the water resembled the colour of a teaspoon of milk dissolved in a cup of tea. The river begins in Montana, flows into southern Alberta along the town of Milk River and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, and then carves southward to Montana through the Sweetgrass Hills before eventually joining the Mississippi watershed, making it one of the only rivers in Canada to do so.

What’s new at Zen Travellers? We’re fortunate to live in a place that offers no shortage of exhilarating views and epic adventures. We’ve put together an Alberta summer bucketlist because we know that travelling through Alberta in winter may not be everyone’s cup of tea and Alberta’s summers are short but truly spectacular. It can take what feels like an eternity for the snow to leave the mountains, but once it does, the Rockies reveal their true splendour.

June in Canada is National Aboriginal month, with June 21st being also being National Aboriginal Day, a day which should become a national stat holiday in my humble opinion. As Canada marks its 150th anniversary of its confederation, any good Canadian will tell you that this beautiful land was home to Indigenous peoples since time immemorial.

Perhaps an even more important milestone than Canada 150 is the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report in 2015. A long and painful read, the report includes the testimony of brave residential school system survivors and outlines the painful legacy of Canada’s colonial past on Indigenous peoples. The report finishes with 94 calls to action, some of which focus on improving education about Indigenous peoples for both citizens and newcomers to Canada. By learning about Canada’s troubled history with Indigenous peoples, as well as their inspiring culture and history, Canadian citizens, newcomers to Canada and tourists alike can do their part to facilitate reconciliation.

Few experiences are as awe-inspiring as seeing the northern lights and Yellowknife, Canada is one of the best places on earth to see this magnificent show. The way they swirl above your head and dance across the sky entrances all who are fortunate enough to witness the magic of the aurora borealis. Canada, and especially Yellowknife is a fantastic place to seek out the midnight Zen of the northern lights. Continue reading “Midnight Zen: Seeing the Northern Lights in Yellowknife”

Camping on Maligne Lake is the ideal way to experience Spirit Island in Canada. One of the most popular attractions in Jasper National Park, Spirit Island frequently lands on lists of the “Most Photographed Places in Canada”. Tourists come to Canada from all over the world see this tiny island. Set against a backdrop of turquoise water and surrounded by massive glacier-capped mountains, it’s hard to blame them.

Most opt for a 90-minute boat tour that drops you off at a viewpoint where you get a hurried 15 minutes to soak in the view and snap as many pictures as you can. As we began researching it quickly became clear that not only was this an Alberta Bucket List destination but that the most Zen way to enjoy this world class sight would be to visit Maligne Lake as a canoe camping trip. Really, what can compare to on the Maligne Lake backcountry and camping along the way? No doing things the easy way in a tourist boat for us! Continue reading “Camping on Maligne Lake – Everything You Need to Know to Plan Your Trip!”

It is no secret that the natural world inspires us here at Zen Travellers and what better way to show it than by celebrating Earth Day and supporting causes that aim to protect it. That is why on this Earth Day 2017 in Calgary, we are challenging ourselves to climb the staggering 1,188 stairs in the Bow Tower to raise funds for the Alberta Wilderness Association’s conservation efforts.